A pinched nerve is most commonly known as a compressed spinal nerve, which can be quite painful. Its leading cause is typically nerve compression, which is a process where the spinal column becomes shortened, and increased pressure is applied to spinal discs and spinal nerve roots that branch out from the spinal canal. In severe cases, the spinal cord may also become pinched and cause severe nerve pain.
Pinched nerves most often affect the cervical spine and the lumbar spine, but the thoracic spine can sometimes be affected too.
The sciatic nerve, which runs from the lower spine down the back of each leg, is the one nerve that is most often pinched. A pinched sciatic nerve can lead to lower back pain, hip pain, leg pain, weakness, numbness, and sometimes tingling sensations.
A pinched nerve in the cervical region is often refered to as cervical radiculopathy, and can often lead to shoulder and neck pain, which can spread down the arms.
Some self-care options may relieve your symptoms to some extent. These include heat and ice massage, over the counter medications (mostly anti-inflammatory), and etc. If the pain has just radiated and isn’t too severe, these first-hand options can significantly work for you.
Most pinched nerves heal on their own without any specific medical treatment. However, there come times when seeking medical attention regarding back pain caused by a pinched nerve becomes necessary.
You need to call in a doctor immediately if you notice symptoms such as:
- A persistent pain that doesn’t go in its own. If your pain lasts for more than a couple of days, it could possibly be a pinched nerve (you should seek immediate medical attention).
- Your pain is worsening with the passage of time, irrespective of all the conservative treatment options you have already had.
- A notable onset of acute weakness. For example, your whole right leg might not be lifting your weight. This is known as acute focal weakness.
What is the cause of a pinched nerve?
A pinched nerve occurs due to a herniated disc or bone spurs (in a lot of cases). Carpal tunnel syndrome is another house for the pinched nerves. This is usually a bottleneck, meaning all the finger flexor tendons, as well as the median nerve must pass to the hand passing through it.
Regardless of the exact pinched spot, the patient will observe an additional numbness in the hand. This is due to the brain that fails to distinguish between the beginning and an ending part of a nerve. It just knows one thing and that’s disrupting of the signals. So, this gives rise to numbness.
Another condition associated with a pinched nerve is cervical radiculopathy.
Complications
Pain can spur from a muscle spasm or strain that can put pressure on the nerve. There is a network of nerves that extends from the brain to the spinal cord and beyond. They further continue extending from the brain into arms and legs with one major objective: sending messages to the muscles or skin.
A peripheral nerve goes all the way into arms or legs leaving alone the spinal cord. There is a house of millions of nerve fibers that branch outward to other parts of the body. These parts are muscles and skin. These nerves are responsible for making muscles move and enabling sensations on the skin.
Additionally, nerves are a carrier of signals throughout the whole body. Another peripheral nerve that is more of a fiber-optic nerve consists of the bulk of fibers housed in an outer sheath. You can consider each of this individual fiber as a garden hose that is microscopic.
There is a green part of this hose which is a fine membrane. This is where a static electric charge becomes possible to travel to or from the brain. The hose, in addition to hosting electric charges, transports fluid from the nerve cell body. The nerve cell body is responsible for nourishing and helping the ever-changing components of green part or a membrane.
A significant blockage inside the hose disrupts the flow when the pinch is nerved meaning nutrients no longer flow. This leads to the loss of the membranes’ healthy ability to transmit these electrical charges that are significantly tiny. As a result, they eventually die. A muscle does not contract and feels numb only because of enough fibers that may stop working.
Conservative Treatment Options to Treat a Pinched Nerve:
If you just woke up one day with something that you know is a pinched nerve, or if you seem to develop a radiating pain through the course of the day, then you should be aware of some of the self-care tips mentioned below to begin treating you pinched nerve. As with any treatments, it is recommended to start with non-invasive rather than surgical options (such as spinal surgery) first.
Notably, the aim of pinched nerve treatments should be to relieve pain in the long term in a way that does not worsen existing symptoms or cause new ones. Some pinchned nerve remedies to consider, including home remedies, include approaches such as:
- Switching between hot and cold pack application. Applying heat and ice to the affected area can be helpful in reducing pain and inflammation. For best results, you can alternate between the two every 20 minutes.
- Taking pain medication, such as NSAIDs to temporarily reduce the painm while working on a more long-term solution.
- A hot shower can help.
- Lying down putting a rolled up towel under your neck.
- Getting a message. A handheld massager is great to relieve the pressure in your hands.
- Doing physical therapy.
Although you may not feel like doing it, the key is to simply keep your body and joints moving to find relief from pinched nerve pain and to reduce swelling (if present).
If your condition is chronic, or nothing seems to go away, it is advised that you speak to a medical professional who can perform a diagnosis and check for any nerve damage or send you to have further tests (such as CT scans) to check for any abnormalities or hidden causes of your symptoms.
However, if your condition is nothing to be concerned about (apart from the pain), you can try the Spinal Backrack to treat a pinched nerve from the comfort of your own home.
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So if you’re ready to take your recovery from a pinched nerve to the next level, join thousands of people who have already reclaimed their pain-free life thanks to the Backrack.
Author: Spinal Backrack
